title: Tuning electrical and thermal connectivity in multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper.
abstract: We find that the electrical and thermal connectivity in multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper can be tuned using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. Elevated SPS temperatures promote the formation of inter-tube connections and consequently impact the electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power and thermal conductivity of the buckypaper. In particular, the electrical resistivity as a function of SPS temperature exhibits a percolation-type behavior while the low temperature lattice thermal conductivity shows a crossover behavior in the sample dimensionality. The results are discussed in terms of the quasi-one-dimensional metallic nature of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, the packing density and the electron-phonon coupling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Keqin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puneet
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Malcolm J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Skove
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: Terry M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tritt
authors.forename: Apparao M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D008422:Materials Testing; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013696:Temperature; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon